Quick Answer
For an Oni-focused endgame build, equip Charm of Awakening + Charm of Oni Power + Fencer’s Strength after unlocking all three charm slots. Use Flashing Void as the default Armament for a punish from farther away, and keep The Two Celestials available when you need healing. Parry into Blazing State, collect Blue Souls, use an Armament to generate Purple Souls, then attack during Oni Awakening. Keep the finisher for near the end of the transformation gauge.
- Gauge support
- Awakening + Oni Power
- Sword option
- Fencer’s Strength
- Equipment
- Enhance all available tracks
- Final phase
- Damage during Oni Awakening
Use this setup when preparing for late bosses
Use this setup after the third Oni Portal, once you have Oni Awakening, both Charm Capacity skills and the three charm quest rewards below. It is intended for late bosses and Carnage. It is not an opening-hours shopping list.
Collect Flashing Void from the cave reached by sliding near the Castle Courtyard on Mount Oe. If you missed it, return before committing to the final mission. Until then, keep using the Armament you already know; Earth-Shakers is the alternative when enemy stamina is the main obstacle.
The default endgame loadout
Flashing Void is the default here because its charge can be used from farther away, not because every boss takes the most damage from it. Change to Earth-Shakers when you need more Break Damage, or Two Celestials when healing is the problem.
| Part | Default | Why it is here |
|---|---|---|
| Armament | Flashing Void; keep Two Celestials available for healing. | Flashing Void lets you charge a health-damage punish from farther away. Two Celestials supplies healing Yellow Souls when you have a safe close-range opening. |
| Charm 1 | Charm of Awakening | Builds the transformation gauge faster. |
| Charm 2 | Charm of Oni Power | Builds the gauge for Armament use faster, supporting the route to more Purple Souls. |
| Charm 3 | Fencer’s Strength Charm | Improves regular sword attacks between Oni ability windows. |
| Core skills | Deflect + Blazing State; use the Deflection Power upgrades you can afford. | Defense helps create stamina breaks and the Blue Souls needed for the next Armament activation. |
| Later skills | Flashing Void: Power; Oni Awakening: Duration. | Improve the Armament you have selected and extend the transformation window. |
| Equipment and healing | Enhance clothing, sword and gauntlet; improve your default Hozuki Pouch. | Keep survival and ordinary damage usable while the special gauges are empty. |
Unlock and pay for the setup
Do the charm quests before copying the loadout. A full set needs both capacity skills as well as the actual rewards. Enhance the charms at Enma’s Hall; prioritize the ones you will keep equipped.
Further charm enhancement uses Red Souls and Favor; check the selected shrine upgrade for its exact next cost. These totals cover the three Level 2 charms only, not every skill and equipment enhancement in the build.
| Needed | How to unlock it | Cost or next step |
|---|---|---|
| Second and third charm slots | Charm Capacity 1 after the first Oni Portal; Capacity 2 after the third. | 2 Power Stones + 3 Power Stones respectively. |
| Fencer’s Strength | The Faceless, available after Okuni’s Kabuki Dance. | Quest reward; equip it for regular sword damage. |
| Charm of Awakening | A Fishy Story, available after The Demon on the Mount. | Quest reward; Oni Awakening must be available for its gauge effect to matter. |
| Charm of Oni Power | Restless Spirits, available after In the Light of an Icy Moon. | Quest reward; use it with an Armament you can reliably land. |
| Each charm to Level 2 | Charm enhancement unlocks after The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu. | 3,000 Red Souls + 3,500 Favor each. All three to Level 2: 9,000 Red Souls + 10,500 Favor. |
| Flashing Void: Power | Find the Armament and complete the third Oni Portal. | 6,500 Red Souls. |
| Oni Awakening: Duration | After the third Oni Portal. | 3 Oni Stones. |
Run this loop during the fight
Work through one resource at a time. The build is strongest when you spend the gauges during openings you have already learned.
| Step | Action | What it sets up |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Defend | Parry familiar attacks to fill the Blaze Gauge. Use Deflect when you want enemy stamina damage. | Blazing State and eventual Break Issen opportunities. |
| 2 · Collect Blue Souls | Attack during Blazing State and absorb the released souls when safe. On a stamina break, use the purple weak-point option if you need resources. | Refills Oni Power for an Armament. |
| 3 · Use the Armament | Let the boss finish a committed attack, then use Flashing Void from an appropriate distance. | Damage and Purple Souls to build Oni Awakening. |
| 4 · Transform | Activate Oni Awakening when the gauge is full and you can use the opening. | Issen is easier to land while transformed; make use of the attack window. |
| 5 · Finish and reset | Use the finisher near the end of the transformation gauge, then return to defense. | You use the transformation before spending its remaining gauge on the finisher. |
For Yoshitsune, prepare for the final phase
In the third phase, Yoshitsune takes damage only while Musashi is in Oni Awakening. Keep the gauge loop working: parry into Blazing State, collect Blue Souls, use an Armament, then absorb Purple Souls. Ordinary sword pressure outside transformation is preparation for a damage window.
When he starts absorbing souls from the arena, absorb them yourself as well, then prepare to evade or counter the following arena-wide slash. Use your learned defensive response rather than standing still to chase one more soul.
Fill quick-use slots with the support items you have collected: Heavy Restoratives, Amulets of Introspection, Stimulants, Sun-Dried Hozuki, and Greater Defense or Might Talismans. Read each item’s effect and use it for the current need; keep enough support for the final phase. During Awakening, delay the finisher until the gauge is nearly spent.
Rebuild equipment when Carnage begins
Carnage unlocks after a first clear. Learned Basic and Special Skills, charms and their enhancements, and Hozuki Pouch enhancements carry into New Game Plus. Clothing, sword and gauntlet enhancement levels, Red Souls and enhancement materials do not. Rebuild those equipment tracks through the new run.
Before starting, enhance the three charms you intend to carry and keep a separate pre-finale save. A preserved charm set makes the plan available again; it does not preserve the equipment stats shown in your completed campaign.
Direct answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the default endgame build?
Use Flashing Void with Charm of Awakening, Charm of Oni Power and Fencer’s Strength, after both Charm Capacity upgrades. Keep The Two Celestials available for healing and enhance clothing, sword and gauntlet alongside the chosen skills.
What if I only have two charm slots?
Use Awakening + Oni Power for the gauge-focused plan, then add Fencer’s Strength after Charm Capacity 2. That skill costs 3 Power Stones and opens after the third Oni Portal. If you are still learning the boss, use a defensive charm where it helps you survive.
Which Armament should replace Flashing Void?
Use Earth-Shakers to pressure enemy stamina, Two Celestials to release healing Yellow Souls, or Wind-Whipper when a group is surrounding you. Choose for the opening you can actually use.
Why am I not damaging Yoshitsune in the last phase?
The third phase requires Oni Awakening for damage. Refill the transformation gauge through the soul loop, transform, attack during that window, and use the finisher near its end.
Does the Crimson Lotus appearance increase boss damage?
No. It changes the gauntlet appearance. Equipment and skill enhancements improve combat performance.
Why does my New Game Plus equipment feel weaker?
Clothing, sword and gauntlet enhancement levels reset, along with Red Souls and enhancement materials. Learned skills, charms and charm enhancements carry over.